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Russian Federation · Eastern Europe

Russia
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

Quick answerRussia is a country in Eastern Europe, with a population of 146,028,325 (2025). Its capital is Moscow, its official language is Russian, and its currency is the Russian ruble (RUB). It covers 17,098,246 square kilometres (6,601,667 square miles), and its time zone is Europe/Kaliningrad.

Russia is the largest country in the world, home to about 146 million people. Its capital is Moscow, its official language is Russian, and its currency is the ruble.

Key facts

CapitalMoscow
Population146,028,325 (2025) · 146.0 million
Population density8.9 people per km² (land area)
Area17,098,246 km² (6,601,667 sq mi) total · 16,377,742 km² (6,323,479 sq mi) land
Official languageRussian (official)
CurrencyRussian ruble (RUB, ₽)
Time zonesEurope/Kaliningrad, Europe/Moscow, Europe/Samara, Asia/Yekaterinburg, Asia/Omsk, Asia/Novosibirsk, Asia/Irkutsk, Asia/Yakutsk, Asia/Vladivostok, Asia/Magadan, Asia/Kamchatka
GovernmentFederal semi-presidential republic
Coastline37,653 km
Highest pointMount Elbrus, 5,642 m
Life expectancy73.4 years (2024)
Calling code+7
Driving sideRight
Internet domain.ru

Overview

Russia is the largest country in the world, covering 17,098,246 square kilometres across Eastern Europe and North Asia — roughly one-eighth of the world's inhabited land. It spans eleven time zones, from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east, and shares land borders with fourteen countries, tied with China for the most of any country. Its landscapes run from the forests and plains of European Russia to the Ural Mountains, the Siberian taiga and tundra, and the volcanoes of Kamchatka in the far east. Mount Elbrus, at 5,642 metres, is the highest point in Europe, and Lake Baikal in Siberia, 1,642 metres deep, is the world's deepest lake.

About 146 million people lived in Russia in 2025, making it the most populous country in Europe and the ninth most populous in the world. Around three-quarters of Russians live in towns and cities. Moscow, the capital, anchors a metropolitan area of about 21.5 million people, the largest in Europe, while Saint Petersburg, the second city, holds about 5.6 million. Russian is the official language, and life expectancy at birth was 73.4 years in 2024. The Trans-Siberian Railway, the world's longest at 9,289 kilometres, links Moscow with Vladivostok on the Pacific.

Russia is a federal semi-presidential republic. Its history runs from Kievan Rus' in the ninth century through the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union to the Russian Federation, formed in 1991. The economy, worth about $2.9 trillion in 2026 by IMF estimate, rests on vast oil and gas reserves, alongside mining, manufacturing and agriculture. Russian culture is known worldwide for its literature, ballet and classical music, and the country launched the first satellite in 1957 and sent the first human into space in 1961. Russia has 32 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, from the Kremlin and Red Square in Moscow to the historic centre of Saint Petersburg. The country stretches so far east that when it is noon in Moscow, it is already evening in Vladivostok.

Notable facts

How Russia compares

Comparison table — Russia next to 3 similar countries (neighbours first, then the same subregion).

CountryPopulationAreaDensityCapital
Russia ★ 146,028,325 (2025) 17,098,246 km² 8.9 people per km² Moscow
China 1,404,890,000 (2025) 9,596,961 km² 150.6 people per km² Beijing
Norway 5,633,770 (2026) 323,802 km² 18.5 people per km² Oslo
Australia 27,801,023 (2025) 7,692,024 km² 3.6 people per km² Canberra

Cities in Russia

See all 4 cities in Russia →

Frequently asked questions

What is the capital of Russia?

The capital of Russia is Moscow. It is also the country's largest city, with 13,010,112 people inside the city limits and about 21.5 million in the wider metropolitan area (2021 Census). Moscow sits on the Moskva River in western Russia and is home to the Kremlin, Red Square and Saint Basil's Cathedral.

What is the population of Russia?

Russia had an estimated population of 146,028,325 in 2025, according to Rosstat, including Crimea. That makes it the most populous country in Europe and the ninth most populous in the world. About three-quarters of Russians live in towns and cities, above all in Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

What language is spoken in Russia?

Russian is the official language of Russia and is spoken by almost everyone in the country. It is the language of government, schools and the media. Dozens of other languages are official in Russia's republics and regions, including Tatar, Chechen and Bashkir, and many Russians also speak English in the big cities.

What currency is used in Russia?

Russia uses the Russian ruble (RUB, symbol ₽), divided into 100 kopecks. Banknotes and coins come in many denominations, and card payments are common in cities, though visitors should carry cash as well, since foreign-issued cards often do not work.

Where is Russia?

Russia is in Eastern Europe and North Asia, stretching from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It borders fourteen countries, including China, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Finland and Norway, and faces the Arctic Ocean in the north and the Pacific in the east.

What time zone is Russia in?

Russia spans eleven time zones, from UTC+2 in Kaliningrad to UTC+12 in Kamchatka. Moscow uses Moscow Time (MSK, UTC+3) all year round, as Russia does not observe daylight saving time. The IANA time zone name for the capital is Europe/Moscow.

Quick quiz

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1. What is the capital of Russia?

2. What was the population of Russia in 2025?

3. What currency is used in Russia?

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Sources & last updated

Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.